let's not do anything we might regret...

[Peter Toner <peter.toner@adelaide.edu.au>]

Hi folks,

I rarely post anything to the list, but I thought I'd add a few thoughts
to the recent discussions.

I guess I'm in the "glass is half full" or "wait and see" camp as well.
I think we just have to be careful that we don't do something stupid. I
agree with most of you who say that Pitino is miserable at making trades
- just look at his track record. So, for all of you advocating a "trade
Walker" or "trade Pierce" scenario...what makes you think Pitino is
capable of making a GOOD trade with either one of those guys? Do you
really want to see Pierce and Walker as perennial all-stars in a couple
of years' time...but playing for OTHER teams? If Pierce is so great, and
everyone in the league is drooling over him, then why do we want to lose
him? I cringe every time I see these trade suggestions flying around,
not because I don't want us to improve soon (and I've been waiting as
long as anyone since the Big Three retired), but because I have a
feeling we'll regret any "blockbuster" trade in a few years' time.

And I DEFINITELY don't want to trade Potapenko - he's got some decent
skills and great size and toughness, and I think has lots of room to
improve. We trade him, and all of a sudden we're a LOT smaller. If
Blount can provide an interior defensive presence, Vitaly stands to
collect a lot of boards with his size in the post. I think it's a shame
that we can't make room for Forston in the lineup, too - Pot/Blount and
Battie/Forston would give us some decent strength and diversity up
front. Not all-star calibre, but how many all-star centres are there
anyway?

Brown will be a decent pickup - he doesn't need to score at point
because we have Kenny for that if we need it. But he should slot in
nicely to defend other teams' scoring point guards.

So, I guess I feel that we have more to lose in a blockbuster trade. We
should improve simply by virtue of another year together, a healthy
Adrian, and a few capable role players. And we don't need to improve
THAT much to make the playoffs. And if we don't, Pitino will be gone,
and Walker and Pierce will fulfill their potential under a new coach in
a new system (which I'm sure would happen if they were traded). I'm as
frustrated as anyone, but I don't want us to be kicking ourselves when
our key players make the playoffs with someone else.

Just my $0.02 worth,

Pete